


Three Kings Trump an Ace

by YourFavoriteRobot



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Adventures (Comics), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, Marvel Ultimates, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-01
Updated: 2012-10-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 10:34:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/526350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourFavoriteRobot/pseuds/YourFavoriteRobot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has gone missing while helping Reed Richards with one of his experiments. When they try to get him back they get a little more than they were hoping for.<br/>(Tony/Tony/Tony/Steve)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Kings Trump an Ace

**Author's Note:**

> There was talk of Tony/Tony/Tony/Steve and I promised this to hackedmotionsensors on tumblr a million years ago. It's finally done and not what I had planed on writing but it's done none the less. Thanks to starkassembled for beta.

"What do you mean, you ‘lost’ Tony?"

Steve watched as Dr. Reed Richards twisted around, and then around again, looping and weaving to reach his various screens in a display that was both amazing, and vaguely nauseating to watch.

"It's nothing to worry about," Reed said.

"I’d like to trust you, Doctor, but we need Tony back soon to take down the Hydra satellites. So, until he’s standing in front of me, I'm gonna worry."

Steve watched the man work and wasn’t sure if what he said even registered until Reed finally replied, “If I could explain it in anyway that you could understand, I would be happy to but I'm a little too busy trying to fix the problem to come up with a laymen's analogy to comfort you, Captain.”

If it had been anyone but Reed, Steve would have taken him to task but the doctor’s detachment which bordered on an innocent sort of cluelessness always put Reed into a special category. Like a man on crutches, or kid with a stutter.

You just don't go jabbing a guy in his soft spots.

"Right. So, when can we get him back?" Steve asked.

"That, I can tell you,” Reed answered with a smile. “The calculations should be complete in about 10.7 seconds."

"And these calculations are going to help you find Tony?"

"Well, I suppose when it comes down to it, yes," Reed answered. Steve withheld comment and let out a slow, deep breath, allowing the doctor to continue. "In the same way that the machine displaces the corporeal presence, once I find the specific wave frequency at the time the event occurred, all I need do is reverse the polarity and it should attract Tony back to us, materializing him right here, hopefully in the present."

“Hopefully?" Steve latched onto the one part that he followed.

“There is a .03% chance that he might end up here around 10 years from now, but it's negligible, hardly worth concern,” Reed answered.

Steve frowned.

“Alright, you may want to stand back and possibly cover your eyes; I'm not certain whether Erskine's formula did anything to strengthen the anterior segment of your eyes, but this is probably not the best time to test it.”

The bright flash, more than Reed’s warning, caused Steve to throw his arm up defensively over his eyes. There was a crackle in the air, and a strange ethereal hum that grew louder and louder until it all culminated in a underwhelming thud. Steve moved his arm away, curiosity winning over caution, and to his relief saw Tony, much as he ever was, sitting on the floor with a puzzled look on his face.

"Steve?" He blinked, bright blue eyes looking clearer than Steve remembered seeing them in an age. "What the heck are you doing here I was just-- Reed? Oh jeez, this can't be good. Someone want to get me up-to-date?"

“You have open access to the servers,” Reed said turning to Tony and then turning back to the monitors and then twisting around towards Tony again. "The pertinent ones anyway.”

Tony frowned at Reed. Steve watched him carefully- his expressions, the way he sat. Something was off, and Steve couldn't quite put his finger on it. His instincts weren’t telling him the man before him was a threat, but they were telling him it wasn't Tony. At least not the man he'd known for ages, the one he fought with, and against, and whose crimes he forgave but never forgot.

“I'm not seeing you in the system, Tony,” Reed said. “Are you having problems with Extremis?” Tony looked to Steve, eyes wide, open and searching for something, Steve hesitated to say ‘comfort’ or ‘reassurance’ but it would have been his first guess.

"What's Extremis?" Tony asked and Reed twisted his neck around to stare at him. Steve was just opening his mouth to speak, when the strange feeling in the air started again. There was another bright light that Steve just managed to close his eyes against followed by another thud.

When Steve opened his eyes he saw, in addition to the one man who resembled Tony, another who looked like he could be his twin.

"Oh, lovely, what is this supposed to be?" This new Tony immediately took to his feet and dusted off his very expensive looking gray suit. He looked down at the first Tony on the floor who finally stood, and gave a lopsided smile to his double.

"Looks like Reed's done it again," said the first Tony, almost cheerfully, as though this was something that could be all sorted out by lunchtime.

The second Tony looked over the first one with a raised eyebrow and a sneer of disdain. He sighed dramatically, "If you're what passes for Tony Stark around this universe, I'd hate to see what the rest of--oh. Hello." This new Tony grinned in an unsettlingly predatory way as his gaze turned to Steve, apparently recognizing him. "You must be Captain Rogers, I can't imagine anybody else being quite that blond and broad about the shoulders, charmed, certainly,"

Steve had to fight down the flush that threatened with this Tony's eyes wandering up and down his body. He knew full well what that look meant from that man but he’d never had it fixed on him before. The leering Tony just took in his discomfort with a half smile and turned to address the room in general.

"So who does a guy have to blow for a drink around here?"

At that, Steve choked on whatever it was he had been about to say. Fortunately Reed cut in, “Hmm, had not expected this result, it is fascinating though, I seem to have constructed what is working as a transdimensional magnet, pulling Tony Starks from other universes and transplanting them here.”

Steve ignored the two men that were switching between staring at him and each other and turned to Reed, "Yeah, I can see that but how are we going to get my Tony--" Steve heard a derisive little snort behind his back and didn't have to guess at the source. "OUR Tony back."

“Well, I should be able to narrow the beam and hopefully it will won’t pick up any more before we--”

There was a charge in the air paired with that same eerie sound and Steve didn't more than flinch at the flash this time. The telltale thud sounded and a third Tony appeared.

When this one stood he only came up to the other two’s shoulders. Both gave a snort of a laugh in unison. The new arrival’s face twisted through a few expressions as he looked back-and-forth between the two.

"Well, this isn't Vegas is it?" The third’s eyes had the same clever sharpness but were a rich dark brown in color.

“Reed, switch it off,” Steve commanded.

“Yes. No, that would be for the best right now. I think.” the doctor tapped some panels and then looked at a screen full of impenetrable data while tutting and shaking his head.

"Yeah, tell me about it, at the rate you are going on you’re going to rip the universe a new one. And. Uh... Exactly who are you? By the way. Because I kinda make it a point to be aware of people who can do that," the latest arrival asked.

Reed ignored the Tonys and turned to Steve, “Captain, can you please find a safe place for them while I work?”

"Me?" Steve said and was surprised at how bewildered he sounded. This was weird but he could cope with weird, he was used to it enough by now. But something about this one got under his skin. His relationship with Tony was complicated enough on a good day, this was more than he really wanted to deal with.

“It is something of a security matter, I suppose.” Reed said. Steve nodded, trying to pull his head together. Of course it was. There was no telling what these Tonys agendas might be. Just because the one he knew had his trust didn’t mean anything about these other ones. The circumstances of their universes could have driven them to anything.

"Great" said the first one, all but bounding over to Steve's side and putting a friendly arm around his shoulder, "I could use a break, why don't we go grab a pizza? My treat!"

“I'm sorry, this is like Disney movie wacky. Who is Stretch Armstrong over there supposed to be? I'm not going with anyone until I find out what the hell is going on," the short one said.

“God, you must be from the slow universe. Does your team ride out on a little yellow bus, darling?”

“Oh that's it, it’s go time, you son of bitch.”

“Guys, come on. Stop. Pizza?”

“Oh, please old man come up here and say that.”

Two of the Tonys lunged at each other but Steve stepped up and pulled the men apart by their collars (Armani jacket and ratty t-shirt, respectively.) "Alright, that's enough. Reed, do you have a place I can take these two to cool off?” Steve asked.

“Observation cells on the 63rd floor,” Reed answered distractedly, already immersed in his work.

“Alright, let's go, Tony... Tonys,” Steve gave them a good shake and hauled them out of the lab and down the hallway.

"Me too?" the first Tony asked pointing at himself.

"Yeah, you too, come on."

The first Tony shrugged and followed along after him while the other two bitched and moaned as they were dragged along.

“Alright. Get in. Don’t kill each other. I’ll be back soon when Reed has some news.”

The cell was all white on white and featureless aside from a shelf that jutted out of the wall at a height to serve as a bed or a bench. One by one the Tonys filed in, none of them apparently wanting to try their luck at escaping at this moment.

The last, the good natured Tony, lingered and held out out a mobile device to Steve. “I know that you can’t let us out until you have made sure we aren’t a threat but there might be some data on this that might help Reed. Ours has been working on some similar stuff and I have been looking over his notes.”

Steve gaped a moment and then nodded. He had glossed over the standard confiscations and scans because this was Tony. The Tony he knew had a computer in his brain and his suit in his bones, confiscating anything was pretty much out of the question. He never counted on one of them willingly surrendering anything on his person.

“Thank you,” Steve pocketed the phone and tried not to think too much about it.

Tony leaned in and asked, “just between you and me, how long do you think this is going to be?”

“I really don’t know, I’m sorry. I promise, I do just want to get everyone home safe, it won’t be any longer than it has to be,” Steve answered.

“I know, Cap,” the nice Tony patted Steve on the arm. “You’ll do your best.”

Tony looked up at him with a smile that was kind with just a hint of something cheeky, nothing like the sarcastic grins he was used to. This Tony was earnest, open and blameless. It made Steve strangely uncomfortable.

“Thanks.” Steve said curtly, then softened. “If it looks like it’s taking too long I’ll come back in and do a threat assessment so you don’t have to spend the night in there.”

Tony grinned and then blinked with surprise as a comically loud rumble came from his stomach “Heh, sorry, any chance we could do that threat assessment over lunch? Wasn't kidding about what I said before. I haven't eaten in almost a day, been pretty busy.”

“That sounds like the Tony I know. I think we can have some food sent for.”

Tony smiled at Steve brightly and all but danced into the cell, "Great, thanks Steve, and don't worry okay, we'll get your Tony back soon."

"Yeah," he forced a smile. "Thanks."

Against his better judgment, Steve went straight from the observation cells to the kitchen and about half an hour later he came back with a wicker basket on his arm. He punched in the security code and the door slid open on the cell and the three Tonys with in.

The short one was sitting on the floor tapping on his phone. The other one in the suit leaned against the wall tapping his foot and trying his hardest to look pointedly uninterested in everything and the other who Steve easily identified from his reaction as the first Tony sprung up from where he had been sitting at the sound of the door. Steve tried his very hardest not to draw any parallels between his behavior and that of a puppy. He mostly succeeded. The other two looked at him and eyed the basket with twin smirks.

"Sue made us sandwiches, she put them in the basket," he explained. And she had, no matter how much he insisted that she not but Steve knew better than to argue with a mother in her own kitchen.

Steve put the basket into the nice Tony’s hands, he promptly sat on the floor with it and stared up at Steve in a way that made him feel awkward for not sitting and joining him. “I wasn’t planning to eat in here,” Steve explained but the stare didn’t waver.

“Come on, there is way more than enough for everyone, besides you need to do an evaluation on us, right? Might as well save yourself a trip.” nice Tony said and Steve relented, taking a seat on the floor opposite him.

“Hey, Other-Cap,” the short Tony started as he nervously began circling Steve and the Tony on the floor with the basket. “I don't exactly feel comfortable eating strange food from another universe, it doesn't really agree with me. Could I get something in a sealed package? Or from a restaurant, there is this little Lebanese place...”

“You don’t have to eat it but I’m not bringing anything else,” Steve said. The short Tony’s mouth twitched and he made another circle before sitting down a little ways away from the other two. After a long moment of consternation he pulled a sandwich out and took a small experimental bite.

“If this kills me, I’m gonna sic a Hulk, you got one of those here?”

“Yes,” Steve said evenly. “But you shot ours into space.”

“Oh.” That seemed to quiet him down and he focused on the sandwich.

“You want any?” Steve asked over his shoulder to the other Tony, still leaning on the wall. He just shook the flask he had in hand in answer.

“Brought my own lunch.”

Steve frowned but the Tony sitting across from Steve was still calm and cheerful, grinning like it was a day out in the park between bites of sandwich, and took Steve’s attention away as he started chattering. “My Steve makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches, sometimes he'll do them up for the whole team and we will all sit in the kitchen telling stories and laughing.”

Steve looked around, the Tony in the suit was frowning, the other was holding back a laugh. Steve just shook his head. “We used to do that sort of thing.”

“Not anymore?" Tony asked, his perpetual brightness fading slightly at the edges.

“No, not anymore.”

“I'm sorry.” The earnestness startled Steve somehow, he hadn’t seen that from Tony in so long, not over something so simple, not without the weight of the world behind it.

“Don't be. Things happen, sometimes things you can't take back.”

“I know I shouldn’t ask, but why did you two break up?”

It took Steve a second to register.

“Break what? No. No, it wasn’t like that. Tony’s not like that.”

“Oh, but you are?” There was nothing but sympathy there and for some reason, Steve wasn’t voicing the ‘no’ that he thought he should be.

“How did--” It happen? Steve began to ask instead but the Tony in the suit interrupted.

“Well, this is an interesting development. Please, tell us more. And with as much detail as you feel comfortable with.” A lazy drawl came from the nice Tony’s side as the smarmiest of the trio settled in beside him and draped an arm around his shoulder.

Steve was far too interested in the nice Tony’s answer to say anything to the other, but short Tony popped up and began to talk. “So you are. And you want to. And where exactly do you stand on all of this, huh?” the short Tony asked, pointing among them and landing the last finger on Steve.

“I don’t know. I never thought about it before,” he answered honestly. It had to be some fluke of the multiverse. Though, the more he thought about it the less far-fetched it seemed. Even after everything, Tony was still very important to Steve. The idea that in at least one far flung reality that friendship translated into romance was almost likely when you thought about the odds.

Steve looked at the other Tonys, how they looked at their lighthearted counterpart, one with a barely disguised look of bitter envy and the other drawn in on himself in embarrassment and it seemed like it wasn't such a fluke after all.

Steve wouldn’t let himself think about what that could mean for his own Tony. The filter that would put on everything in their past and how wrong he might have been about him. This wasn't the time for that. He wondered if there could ever be a good time for that.

A sandwich sat untouched on a napkin in front of Steve. All eyes were turned on him and he had nothing to say.

“I should go. I’ll have some one send down cots so you don’t have to sleep on the floor but--” Steve looked around at them again. Blue and blue and brown. All curious, questioning, accusing. “I’m sorry, excuse me.”

\---

Steve took room at the Baxter building that night, he wanted to be close in case Reed came up with any lead on this universes Tony and the doctor was too distracted to argue with him.

He kicked off his boots, got into the strange bed and willed himself to sleep. An hour passed. And another. He gave up and walked through to the bathroom and got in the shower hoping the sound of the water would drown out his thoughts.

When he had settled into the room, he was sure it was guilt that would be racking his brain that night. Replays of the conflicts he’d had with Tony, the horrible lows he had seen the other man hit and wondering if he had been there as more than just a friend if it would have helped. If he had just seen sooner, how much death and heartbreak could they both have been spared?

But that wasn’t what occupied his mind. It was a surge of countless memories that kept him awake. Each firm hand on his arm, each friendly hug that carried on too long, the times he held him close in the suit over long flights. Everything that had seemed so innocent at the time now had his heart racing and his mind turning to the carnal.

Steve threw the temperature dial to cold and suffered through the rest of his shower as fast as he could. He toweled off and redressed in the bathroom feeling none the better.

As soon as he opened the door to the bedroom his attention jumped. There were people in the room, standing in the dark. Steve tensed, ready to fight, but one of the bodies took a step towards him and Steve knew at once who it was.

“Tony?” Steve stared at the three men in front of him.

“Oh, don't look so shocked,” one of them grinned. “You honestly think between the three of us we couldn’t break out of there?”

“It didn’t even take very long, I really hope the security is better at our place.”

“Well, I know /our/ tower is completely secure.”

Steve wasn’t exactly surprised that they got out but seeing Tony, any Tony, smiling at him in the dark was hitting too close to the nerve right now.

“We just thought--”

“Since you haven't--”

“And it's pretty obvious that you want to--”

“And it's not like we are going to be staying here.”

The Tony with the bright clear eyes set them on Steve and he was pinned to the spot. Head reeling and heart thumping, he felt a hand slide up into his hair and lips, surrounded by the scratch of Tony’s goatee, press against his own.

Steve didn’t know what to do, say or even think. There wasn’t even a conflict because there was just nothing in his head, he’d blown a fuse and now he had nothing to go on but the fact that this felt good and, in a strange way, long overdue.

Eyes still closed he felt another body press against the length of his back. He tensed but soon a line of soft kisses running down his jaw relaxed him

"Are you sure this is going to be okay with your boyfriend?" Steve asked, not sure if he was joking or not.

"I think this is a special case, and besides you need it."

Hands came around and began to undo the buttons of his shirt. "I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about this before, darling," one of them whispered in his ear. "But my universe's version of you is far too _don't ask don't tell_ for any of that."

"His loss," Steve mumbled as the third Tony sidled up and turned his head, drawing him down into a tentative kiss, Steve could feel the conflict coming off him in waves as he worked through whatever he was thinking about.

"I haven't thought about this since I was a teenager," this Tony grew bolder, apparently making up his mind and Steve opened his mouth to a swipe of tongue.

Hands pulled away Steve's shirt and cool air touched his skin for a brief moment but soon three bodies were pressed against him and he was drowning in heat and sensation.

Everything was a blur. He was being kissed light headed by one. Another nipped and sucked on the solid corded muscle of his neck and shoulders. A pair of clever fingers made quick work of his belt.

One was whispering in his ear, babbling frenetic nonsense and half remembered fantasies. Hands ran down his flanks and thumbs brushed his hip bones. It became impossible to distinguish one from another in the dark and it all smudged out into one long, unending caress.

He was pressed back against soft cotton and the world tilted. Steve laid back against the pillows at a loss for word or coherent thought. Blue and blue and brown all settled on him and Steve shuttered under the weight of the stares. They wasted little time before descending on him again and Steve's world once again fell into a dizzying rush of mouth and hand and heat and need.

A pair of hands spread his legs. A body settled in his lap. A gentle press urged his mouth to open. Everything was hot and sweat and slick and stretch and pull and grasp and gasp and peak and fall. Over and again in waves and circles that fed into each other until the last wave crashed and all present succumbed to exhaustion and sank into a welcome sleep.

\---

Hours later Steve awoke with a start. The three bodies splayed out in the bed around him like a pride of large cats in the sun, showed no signs of the guilt and regret that was crawling up his spine. He tried to extract himself but it was little use, short of throwing one or more of them off the bed they had him effectively trapped.

The clock on the bedside read 2am and he guessed if they hadn’t been missed by now then he had plenty of time to get them back into the cell before anyone found out. Sleep was tugging at him again and Steve was just about to slip under when a knock on the door made him jump and caused his bed mates to stir.

The door opened before he could answer and he saw a familiar face in the doorway, “Hey, Steve. Reed said you would be in here. You would never guess where I--whoa what the hell is this?”

Steve sat up and pulled a blanket up to his waist, “Tony, you’re back.”

“Yeah, I am. Do you maybe want explain what’s going on here?”

“Oh just shut up and get over here,” came a groggy voice from the end of the bed. “Give it a few more hours and you can join in for the next round.”

“Steve?” His Tony in the doorway asked.

Steve nodded, “Come on, it might be easier to talk about after.”

“Yeah, okay.” Tony stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He stripped off his clothes and slipped into bed between Steve and another Tony, tentative for a moment but then melting against him like he had been made for it. Head tucked under Steve’s chin, arm around his waist.

“Tony, I never--” Steve whispered into his hair and felt Tony shake his head.

“In the morning, Steve, It's okay.”

Steve hummed a quiet agreement and pulled his Tony into his arms and drifted back to sleep.


End file.
